GILMORE PLEDGES IRELAND’S “FULL SUPPORT” FOR PALESTINE’S UN BID

Palestine’s bid for membership of the United Nations is “entirely legitimate and understandable”, Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore told the UN General Assembly in New York. 

Mr Gilmore said Palestine had “the same right to membership of the United Nations as Ireland, or any other Member of the organization”, a remark that prompted applause from sections of the chamber. He promised Ireland’s “full support” in any vote on a proposal to admit Palestine as a member, or as an interim step, to give Palestine non-member observer status.

Mr Gilmore also held separate meetings yesterday with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, and the Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki. The UN Security Council has begun consultations on the application by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. But the United States has threatened to veto the bid, even if Palestinians get the support of the required nine of the 15 members.

In his address to the Assembly, Mr Gilmore said that membership of the UN would not change the situation on the ground, or remove “the compelling need for negotiations”. But he said recognition of Palestinian statehood would “give dignity and support to the Palestinian people who have suffered for far too long”.

He called on Israel to halt all settlement expansion, and to end the blockade of Gaza by opening up land crossings to normal commercial, human and humanitarian crossings.

Elsewhere in his speech, Mr Gilmore praised the Arab Spring uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East as inspiring and historic. “We must ensure that the democratic changes underway are consolidated,” he said, “And that the promise of profound improvements in human rights in the countries concerned, particularly in relation to the role of women, is fully realized.”

He pledged Ireland’s support for the National Transition Council in Libya. But he expressed concern about the situation in Syria and warned President Assad that “no leader who refuses to listen to what his people are saying…can expect to remain in power.”

Mr Gilmore outlined Ireland’s determination to fighting world hunger, and said the government remained committed to achieving the UN target of providing 0.7% of GNP in Official Development Assistance. He said the international community had a moral obligation to act in the face of suffering in the Horn of Africa.

The Tanaiste also defended the United Nations itself, in the face of criticism from some countries. He said no other organization had the same global impact and legitimacy. “Ireland is deeply committed to the United Nations,” he said, “The UN is the embodiment of freedom and equality. It is a bulwark defending these core human values in a changing and uncertain world.” He said Ireland was strongly supportive of the UN’s role in peacekeeping and conflict resolution, pointing out that a 440-strong battalion from the Irish Defence Forces had recently returned to Lebanon.

Robinson congratulates Hume on "Ireland's Greatest" at launch of UN report

-          Robinson congratulates Hume on Ireland’s Greatest

-          Former president says debate on gender quotas in Irish politics should be reopened

-          Equality Minister Mary White is considering a proposal whereby State funding could be cut for any political party without a fair proportion of women candidates

Former President Mary Robinson has congratulated John Hume on being named Ireland’s Greatest in an RTE vote, in which she finished in third place.

“I’m very happy that John Hume got the recognition he so richly deserves,” she told me, “For him, for his wife Pat and the family. It’s a very good way for the Irish people to recognise the huge contribution he has made.”

She was speaking at the office of Ireland’s UN Mission in New York last night, where she helped launch a new report into women’s participation in politics, which was co-authored by Ireland.

Mrs Robinson, who was Ireland’s first ever female President, said she had not had yet the opportunity to watch any of the five documentaries in the series - including the one in which economist David McWilliams championed her case.

“My family certainly felt it was a good documentary,” she said, “And I heard that people in the west of Ireland, at least, also agreed. But I will catch up on it soon.”

She said she was glad to been a little distant from the process, and was now happy that “the rest of us can fade into a nice comfortable obscurity again”.

The UN report – which was co authored by Ireland, Northern Ireland, Liberia and Timor Leste (East Timor) – made a number of recommendations on improving women’s participation in formal politics.

These included more family friendly working arrangements for politicians, the engagement of men in support of women candidates and political structures like a women’s caucus in parliament once elected.

One of its key findings was that gender quotas in politics do work, and should not be dismissed as token gestures.

It cautions against viewing them as negative and said they should instead be a key strategy in helping women to enter formal politics.

Mrs Robinson said she believed it was “appropriate” for the issue to be re-examined in Ireland.

“The countries around the world that have been willing to have quotas have made much more rapid progress,” the former president said, “It is up to every country, and some, Ireland among them, feel we don’t need quotas.

“But maybe they should think: how is it that we still have a very small percentage of women? How can we ensure that we get closer to the 50/50? Do we even have the ambition to get close to the 50/50?”

Equality Minister Mary White of the Green Party, who represented the government at the event, said quotas would be considered as part of a wider package of reforms aimed at increasing female participation in politics in Ireland.

“I have said all along that quotas on their own won’t work – we need a strong supportive package,” she said.

She said in recent weeks her team had received responses from all the political parties to a detailed questionnaire on the issue.

She said she is working on a proposal, some of which could be implemented as part of electoral and Dail reform.

These include a change to working hours in Dail Eireann to make them more family friendly, and more women nominees to State boards.

One potentially controversial proposal under consideration is the linking of the State funding of political parties to their gender representations.

“I’ll be looking at the issue of party funding if parties didn’t actually run (women) candidates,” said Minster White, “and maybe having a sliding scale.

“So if you had 20% (female candidates) you lose a certain percentage of your state funding, 25% you’d lose less, and the more you go up in terms of having women on the ballot paper, the more money the party would have.”

Ireland is currently ranked 84^th in the world for female representation in politics – just 23 TDS are women (14%) which puts us behind Sierra Leone.

Several high-profile female TDs, including Olwyn Enright (FG), Liz McManus and Mary Upton (Lab), indicated during the summer that they don’t intend to contest the next election.

“There is no question about it,” said Minister White, “Our parliament is not balanced.”

The UN study was presented to the head of UN women Michele Bachelet.

The Irish-hosted event was also attended by Ministers from Liberia, Timor Leste and several senior international and UN diplomats.